


Of all the fish in the sea

by Honey_Dewey



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 9-13 are mermaids, A Bit of Fluff, F/F, Maximum Ride AU?, Mermaid 13, Slow Burn, Thasmin doesn’t happen until later, a bit of angst, doctors 1-8 have wings, experiment au, kind of, oh boy this story is a mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honey_Dewey/pseuds/Honey_Dewey
Summary: Yasmin Khan is a guard who gets hired to help protect a very peculiar facility. As she goes on, she meets people old and new, makes many friends and a few enemies, and begins to realize that maybe she might be in over her head.
Relationships: Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Heather (Doctor Who: The Pilot)/Bill Potts, Thirteenth Doctor/Yasmin Khan
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Huzzah motherfuckers! 
> 
> Am I back on my Doctor Who bullshit? Yes I am! Did this take two days to get a proper title? Yes it did! Will I likely change the title because wow that’s a bit cringe? Yes I probably will! 
> 
> But that’s not important. What is important is that I’m trash for 13, Thasmin, and pretty much all of DW. 
> 
> As this goes on, I’ll likely draw out the various character designs I see in my head. If I do, it’ll end up on my Insta and I will link it here for y’all to enjoy. 
> 
> As of this minute, I have two more chapters already written, so I’ll post them. Uh. Eventually?

Yaz would never understand her assignments. It was mostly guard stuff, stand there and look intimidating. Dissuade civilians from entering government areas. Basic things she barely had the patience for. And yet, her newest job seemed different. A non-government experimental company that needed a new guard after they had to let their latest one go. 

She sighed, looking up at the building. This was definitely it. Although it looked a bit shoddy, and the parking lot was suspiciously empty. But there was a man in a white coat waiting for her, so she wasted no time walking up to him. 

“Miss. Khan?” The man said. “I’m Dr. Donahue. I’ll be leading you around and giving you your assignments while you work here.” 

“Please,” Yaz said, shaking his hand. “Call me Yasmin.” 

Dr. Donahue nodded. He looked pretty plain. Greying brown hair, wire framed glasses surrounding dark eyes, not particularly tall or heavy. Just a doctor. “Of course Yasmin. Mind if we go in? We try to run a tight ship here.” 

Yaz followed him down rather hospital-like halls, the white lights bouncing off the linoleum floors. 

The first leg of their tour was short, during which Dr. Donahue explained her duties and showed her where she’d be clocking in. 

“Basically, we do experiments on living creatures to see if we can extend the human life or improve it in any way,” he said as they walked. “We just need someone to guard our specimen. They’re not prone to escape or escape attempts, but they do fight occasionally, and we just need a bit of a peacekeeper.” 

He gestured to a door, opening it with a flash of a card. “You’ll get an ID badge today too,” he added. “That’ll all be done before you leave. Anyway, this is your break room. You have a locker there, and a place to relax and eat during your break just ‘round that corner. That there is the timetable, and that next to it is where you’ll receive any mail from us.” 

Yaz nodded throughout all of this, staying silent as possible to avoid missing any information. Dr. Donahue poked his head around the corner and smiled. “Ah! Mr. and Mrs. Williams! Come meet the newest recruit.” 

A tall ginger woman and a blonde man stepped into view, both dressed in similar uniforms. They introduced themselves as Amy and Rory Williams, two of the senior guards. 

“And if you need anything, any help at all,” Rory said. “You come get us. Working here is a bit of a shock for the first month, but it evens out.” 

Yaz waved as they left the Williams’s to their work, Dr. Donahue telling her about the other guards she’d likely encounter.

“There’s Miss. Potts, she’s in her third week here, and then Miss. Noble has been here almost a year now. Mrs. Jones was just moved to another part of the building, so you’ll likely not see her often. Oh! This is us,” he pointed to a door labeled ‘Aquarium and Aviary. Keep out unless authorized.’ 

Dr. Donahue pressed his ID against a panel, and the door popped open. Immediately, a small girl in red rainboots, who’d been about to open the door from the other side, yelped in surprise. 

“Oh!” She took a few steps back, smiling as she regained herself. “Dr. Donahue! I was just coming to find you! We had an incident in the tank. Thirteen grew hostile and picked a fight with Twelve. She’s been moved to isolation to await punishment and he’s currently in A&E getting his tail patched up. She didn’t do much damage, just a few bruises and a scratch or two. He’ll need medicated water though, so I began prepping his isolation tank as well, oh, who’s this?” She stopped her rambling to peer at Yaz. “Is she the new one?” 

“Indeed she is,” Dr. Donahue said. “Yasmin, this is Miss. Oswald.” 

“Please, just Clara,” Clara insisted, shaking Yaz’s hand. “Anyway, should I report the incident to management?” 

Dr. Donahue shook his head. “No I don’t think that’ll be necessary. If Twelve wasn’t hurt that badly, we shouldn’t have to report it. Don’t want to flood management with minor inconveniences.” 

“Okay!” Clara said, beginning to walk off. “Oh! Jack took a bit of a spill earlier and knocked his head pretty badly. Poor thing went home early to rest, so it’s just me and Rosie down in the labs. Well, and Nine, but he’s there for recovery.” 

She waved and rounded a corner, disappearing from their sight.

“So,” Yaz said finally. “Am I ever going to meet these mysterious experiments of yours?” 

“Ah,” Dr. Donahue nodded. “Yes. This way. I suppose the isolation tanks are first.” 

As they walked, he began explaining the exact nature of their experiments. 

“It’s a bit odd, what we’ve been told to do,” he said. “But it’s what was ordered. Back in the day, about twenty years ago, we had a batch of experiments that went into our aviary. There are eight of them, and you seem like a smart lady, you know what goes in an aviary, yes?” 

Yaz hummed a confirmation, looking around into an empty tank. 

“Well, we received different orders with our next batch. They live here, in our aquarium. Honestly, I think this work is a bit barbaric and dangerous to our specimen, but we can’t exactly ignore the bosses. They could have our jobs, or worse,” he turned to Yaz with a somber face. “Our heads.” 

Yaz’s face must’ve shifted, because Dr. Donahue smiled. “I’m kidding Yasmin! No one here is going to kill you.” 

They rounded a corner, and Yaz could see a few smaller cylindrical tanks, about fifteen feet in height and ten feet wide. There were five on each side of the hallway, and Yaz could see movement in one of the far ones on the right. 

“Ah yes, Thirteen,” Dr. Donahue sighed. “She’s a troublemaker, that one. Our only female in this wing. We have another, but she’s on the other side of the building, and honestly,” he lowered his voice a bit. “They don’t really get along terribly well anyway.” 

Yaz walked over to the tank, steps slowing as she took in the image before her. Making tiny laps in the tank, clearly cramped and unhappy, was a full blown mermaid. 

Immediately, the mermaid hissed and made a face at Yaz. She was trying to be intimidating. But Yaz, as surprised as she was, didn’t even flinch. 

“Hey!” Dr. Donahue rapped on the glass. “Be nice!” 

Thirteen hissed again and went back to her swimming, the lazy circles suddenly making sense. She was sulking. 

“Apologies you had to meet her like this,” Dr. Donahue sighed. “She may be a bit of a handful, but she’s usually quite personable. I guess she’s still upset she lost her favorite guard.” 

“Oh yeah,” Yaz said. “What did happen to the last person?” 

“Mrs. Sinclair?” As he said the name, Thirteen stopped and cocked her head, hope filling her features. “Oh, poor thing died. Had an unexpected heart attack. Her husband, Mr. O’Brian, still visits Thirteen when he can. He works down in maintenance along with his grandson.” 

“Oh,” Yaz watched Thirteen’s face fall as she realized what they were saying. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” Dr. Donahue smiled softly. “She was the kind of person who wouldn’t have wanted us to be sad she was gone.” 

Thirteen gave the glass a slap with her biggest fin, and Yaz jumped in shock. Thirteen, apparently getting the reaction she wanted, laughed behind the glass. With a racing heart, Yaz finally took in the beauty that was Thirteen. 

From the waist up, she was mostly human sized and looking. A bit of a tan, decent muscles, a few freckles dotted here and there. She had three gill slits on each side of her neck, and her fingers had a silvery blue webbing between them. Her face was delicate, and yet surprisingly strong. Like bulletproof glass. Her eyes were a dark hazel, and she had a cloud of blonde hair all around her. Yaz could barely even begin to guess at a length for her hair. Maybe chin or shoulders? It was so flowy that it almost looked messy. 

Of course, her tail was what Yaz was most enthralled by. It was a dark blue, almost navy at her waist, and faded into a more teal blue around where her knees would’ve been. She had colorful stripes on the navy part, and two prominent yellow stripes down her sides. Yaz counted five distinct colors in her stripes. Yellow, orange, navy, teal, and green. At her hips were fins, about the size of her head. Underneath her hip fins, right were her thighs would be, were smaller versions of her hip fins. But her defining fin was her fluke. Big and powerful, it wasn’t shaped in any delicate way. This was clearly function over fashion, although it was incredibly pretty. A shimmering silver-blue, the fluke was bordered by deep navy, and then a smaller, flat rainbow stripe. She had fins right near the base of her fluke, about the same size and shape of her lower hip fins. They mimicked the soft grey and blue bordered look of her fluke, and Yaz had to estimate that from head to tail, Thirteen was at least nine or ten feet long. 

“She’s beautiful,” she breathed. Dr. Donahue smiled, gesturing down the hall. 

“If you think that’s impressive, you should see the rest of our collection.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz meets the rest of the residents and realizes this job is going to be very odd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! Y’all thought! 
> 
> Here’s chapter two, as promised. I’m almost done with chapter four and ho boy is it a bit sad. 
> 
> Anyway, I did an art of 13’s tail, because I could. I’ll link my Insta, where I posted the art, at the end.

As they walked away from Thirteen, she tipped her head again, and Yaz saw in her periphery that she pressed a hand to the glass, almost begging them to stay. 

“We’ve been trying to find a new monitor for Thirteen for weeks now,” Dr. Donahue said as they walked. “She just hasn’t taken to any of our offered guards. Mr. Williams technically isn’t Eleven’s monitor, even if he acts like it. However, Thirteen practically refused to look at him when we offered him. We had two others try and fail to make an impression on Thirteen, and she cannot go this long without a monitor. She just doesn’t get fed. She’s surprisingly childish in her mannerisms, especially when she’s upset.” 

Yaz nodded, watching Dr. Donahue open another door. “When you say monitor, do you mean?” 

“Oh, yes, I should’ve warned you,” Dr. Donahue gestured through the hall, the walls lined with windows into one big tank. “Each of our specimen has a personal guard, so to say. For example, Mrs. Williams monitors Eleven. She makes sure he’s in good health, has eaten enough, isn’t going ‘round picking fights, basic things like that. Mrs. Sinclair was Thirteen’s monitor, and she’s been without once since she left. If Thirteen takes a liking to you, I’ll ask someone to fill you in on the details of being a monitor.” 

Yaz peered through the windows, trying to get a glimpse of the other specimen. Dr. Donahue laughed slightly. 

“Oh dear, why don’t we try a different window?” 

He led her to a glass tube, where she could effectively see the entire tank. There was a mermaid swimming above them, who waved giddily when he saw the pair. 

“That’s Eleven,” Dr. Donahue said, waving back. “You’ll find he’s a bit of a clown, but very likable nonetheless.” 

The other one, Ten, was nowhere to be found. 

“I suppose he’s likely sleeping,” Dr. Donahue sighed as they kept walking. “We built caves for each of our aquatics, and that’s where they sleep and eat and often just rest. We have cameras in there, but no way to see in through here. We do afford them that basic privacy. But there are doors to each cave so we can clean every so often. You’ll see those if you ever have to feed one of them later on.” 

They passed through a few other doors, and Yaz saw a small transport tank on wheels settled outside double doors with ‘A&E’ written on it in big letters. Yaz was a bit surprised to see no locks or doorknobs, but it did make sense a bit for easier access. 

“That’s where Twelve is,” Dr. Donahue said. “If ever anyone gets hurt, you get them here as soon as possible. A&E is surprisingly skilled, and it doubles as our research lab. You actually met one of our nurses already, young Miss. Oswald.” 

They poked their heads into the room, and Yaz smiled at the sight. Clara was helping an older looking mermaid, his fluke a bit scratched up and his upper arm bruised. In the corner, a blonde was hunched over a laptop, occasionally consulting a cylindrical tube with yet another mermaid. 

“Ah yes,” Dr. Donahue stepped into the room, Yaz behind him. “Miss. Khan, this is Twelve, that is Miss. Tyler in the corner, and right next to her is Nine.” 

“Oh don’t tell me we replaced another one!” The older mermaid, Twelve, said in a rather stern Scottish accent. “You just got rid of Lowell, and he was here for two days! How long is she gonna last?” 

Yaz stiffened, but Clara got to him first. “You be nice,” she hissed. “She’s the newest candidate for Thirteen, and I’m sure that if Thirteen doesn’t take a liking to her, the Doc will keep her around.” 

“O’course,” the blonde swung her chair around, facing the group. “That requires that Thirteen get over herself in order to bond with anyone.” 

Dr. Donahue put a hand on Yaz’s back. “Come on. We have lots to do and not much time to do it.” 

Yaz waved goodbye too everyone, and they waved back, leaving her to head down the halls and through doors labeled ‘The Aviary’ 

“The aviary has a different guard rotation, and their own break room,” Dr. Donahue explained as he opened the doors. “So you shouldn’t have to come down this way too often, unless we’re short on guards.” 

The aviary was sunny and pretty. High ceilings and lots of trees for perches, Yaz counted eight massive nests, all too high to see the contents of. 

Considering what was in the aquarium, Yaz was unsurprised to see various winged men flying and chatting, barely a care in the world. They looked a bit older that the mermaids, but she saw some younger faces in the crowd. One of them flew down, pressing his hands to the glass and smiling at Yaz and Dr. Donahue. 

“That’s Four,” Dr. Donahue said. “His monitor is getting old, but she still come around. She made him that scarf when he complained he was cold. Mrs. Smith. She’s like a grandmother to all the others here, so I’m sure she’ll come around to introduce herself eventually.” 

Yaz nodded, waving to Four, who waved back and flew off, likely to spread the news about a new arrival. 

“So,” Dr. Donahue looked at Yaz. “Shall we finalize your application? I won’t force you to work here, but you do seem to fit right in.” 

“Of course,” Yaz said. “I mean, it’s loads better than my last few positions. So yes, I’ll take the job.” 

Dr. Donahue smiled, leading her to an elevator and gesturing her inside. “Well then, let’s get a move on.” 

Their walk to the office was short, and Dr. Donahue’s office was as plain as him. But he sat at his desk and began pulling out paperwork methodically, despite the lack of personalization. 

“So, you’ll need to sign here,” he said. “And there. Then we can give you a badge, and get you inserted into the cycle, then I’ll ask Miss. Potts to train you tomorrow.” 

Yaz signed her name on the papers, skimming the contents. Basic things she’d signed before. Secrecy contracts, health agreements, the like. Dr. Donahue took her photo and printed her a badge, showed her when she should show up for work, what her rotation would be, and what her beginning pay would look like.

“I think that’s it,” Dr. Donahue said finally, leaning back. “You can go home now, I trust you remember the way out?” 

Yaz nodded, pocketing her badge and smiling. “Yes, thank you.” 

Dr. Donahue waved as she left. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
> 
> 13’s Tail design: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VNaDupSwz/


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz has her first day at work, along with her first day being Thirteen’s monitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lord. This chapter is good, but holy shit. Next chapter is a doozy and a half. 
> 
> Anyway, I’ve started catching up on season 12, and I really like it! I’m on episode five, but I already know the big spoilers at the end of the season.

“I don’t know,” Yaz said, dropping her keys on the countertop and sighing. She’d been on the phone with Sonya since she’d gotten into the car, telling her about her new job. “It’s pretty basic stuff. Nothing crazy or fancy. Although the company seems quite nice.” 

“Yaz,” Sonya said, clearly a bit exasperated. “You have to lighten up. Life isn’t about work! Go relax, put on a movie or something. Just try not to think about working. You know what Mum always says.” 

“I’ll work myself to an early grave,” Yaz remembered. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll find something to watch. But first, dinner.” 

Sonya sighed, shifting her phone. “Goodbye Yasmin.” 

“Bye,” Yaz said, putting her phone down and digging through the contents of her fridge. She had a bunch of pre-made meals, mostly for convenience. She pulled a noodle one and popped it in the microwave for a minute. Tomorrow, when she got her schedule, she’d have to find a time to make more meals. Maybe she could get off early on Sunday or something. That would work. 

As she ate, she flicked through various channels to try and find something interesting. Nothing fun, so she settled on a rerun of a show Sonya had made her watch when it came out. 

Eventually, her email pinged, and despite Sonya’s warnings of not working too hard, she opened it just in case. 

She had one new email from Dr. Donahue regarding her schedule, which she read quickly. 

_ Yasmin, I’ve enclosed your work schedule for you to review, along with our policy on requesting breaks, sick days, maternity leave, and unexpected emergencies. Should any questions arise, or a request for a schedule change, please do not hesitate to contact me. Miss. Potts will be in the break room to escort you through your first day, and her schedule is almost identical to yours, so you’ll have a friend to help you out there. _

Yaz read the documents over, noting that she did actually have Sunday mornings off. It wasn’t the afternoon, but it would definitely work for her. The rest of the documents were things she skimmed. Requesting breaks and all that was a very similar process to her last few jobs, although she bookmarked the emails for future reference, and so she could print her schedule and hang it up somewhere. She did, in the end, email Dr. Donahue about her prayers, and after that, she shut her phone off for the evening. 

Her night was restless, tossing and turning in anticipation for her first day at her new job. It wasn’t anxiety, just apprehension.

“Nothing to worry about,” she promised herself quietly, before drifting off into a short sleep. 

The morning was surprisingly easy, compared to her night before. She got up and dressed in her base uniform, not putting on any of the thicker pieces for comfort’s sake. So she was left wandering her flat in her black pants and tank top, boots laying useless by the door. 

After a quick breakfast, she checked her email, happy to find a reply from Dr. Donahue. He said he would find a place for her to do her prayers, and that he absolutely didn’t mind if she did them on shift. 

She let the windows down as she drove to work, trying to clear some of the post sleep fog that her tea hadn’t fixed. By the time she pulled into the parking lot, she was ready to do her job. 

She found one person sitting in the break room, leaning up against the wall and reading. She looked up when Yaz walked in, smiling and putting her book down. 

“You must be Yasmin,” she said. “I’m Bill Potts, I’m gonna be showing you ‘round.” 

“Please,” Yaz said, shaking Bill’s hand. “Just call me Yaz.” 

Bill leaned back on her heels, putting her book in her locker. “Alright Yaz. First up in your day is check in, then we, as monitors, give the aquatics breakfast. After that, we make our rounds, then it’s lunchtime for use and the aquatics. Got it?” 

Yaz nodded, following Bill down the hall towards the aquarium. They chatted the entire time, mostly about job stuff. Bill showed her were the food was prepped, and Yaz wrinkled her nose as the overwhelming smell of fish hit her. 

“Yeah, not the best smelling thing,” Bill agreed. “But they need to eat, so we do what we can. Here, that’s Thirteen’s bucket. Just watch what I do.” 

They carefully prepped the food, small rolls of raw fish and various vegetables. It reminded Yaz of sushi. Disgusting sushi, but sushi nonetheless. 

Bill showed her the hall down to the aquatic’s caves, pushing the door open with her hip to avoid putting her food bucket down. 

“Alright,” She said, passing a few doors. “That’s Thirteen’s cave, she should be in there. I have to pop down to the iso tanks to feed Twelve, but I’ll be back ASAP,” she gestured to the door in front of Yaz and smiled. “Good luck!” 

Just like that, Yaz was alone. She rested her food bucket on a bench and pressed her badge to the panel next to Thirteen’s door. The lock clicked open, and Yaz pushed carefully into the cave. 

It was gorgeous. Not too big, maybe average bedroom size. The lights were orange, a soft glow emitted from crystals in the ceiling. The walls had smaller blue crystals, making a beautiful contrasting color scheme. Thirteen herself was laying on her belly in a small central pool, her back to Yaz. Her fluke stuck out of the water, lazily thrown across floor. She had piles of trinkets stacked in boxes, just small things that would’ve been no use to anyone, but they were apparently precious to Thirteen. 

“Hey,” Yaz said, shutting the door behind her. “I have breakfast.” 

Thirteen turned, her wet hair sticking to her cheeks as she did. She didn’t say anything, just flopped back to her original position. “Not hungry.” 

Yaz paused, a tiny bit taken back by how thick her accent was. “You’re not hungry?” 

“No,” Thirteen fully turned, so she was facing Yaz properly. “Now go away.” 

“Hm,” Yaz set the bucket down, acting unimpressed. Really, she was worried. Thirteen was skin and bones, and despite the muscle, Yaz could see her ribs and spine. It wasn’t healthy. “What if I give you a treat?” 

Thirteen sneered. “Bribing me? Really?” 

Yaz sat down, holding a small custard cream packet out. She had gotten lucky that she’d even had them, she must’ve forgotten to pull them out after her last job. “You eat your breakfast, I’ll give you these. But,” she swiftly put the packet back in her pocket. “No breakfast, no cookies. What’s it gonna be?” 

Thirteen considered it, eyeing the pocket as she dragged the bucket closer and began eating her breakfast. 

“Thank you,” Yaz said, and although Thirteen didn’t answer, she still felt good when the empty bucket was shoved back at her. 

Yaz opened the custard creams, holding one out in her hand to Thirteen. “Go on, you earned it.” 

Quick as a flash, Thirteen snatched the cookie and ate it, her face melting into one of pure happiness as she ate. She took the other one a bit slower, her eyes on Yaz the entire time. 

“I’ll see you later for lunch,” Yaz said, standing up and grabbing the bucket. “Maybe, if you behave today, I’ll bring you a treat with your dinner too.” 

She left, allowing Thirteen to back to her mindless dozing. Yaz watched from a small window on the door as she swung herself back around to stare at the water, looking so very alone. 

Bill showed her where to put the buckets when she got back and raised an eyebrow upon noticing Yaz’s empty bucket. 

“What, did ya shove it down her throat or something?” She asked as they began to make their rounds. 

“No,” Yaz hummed, watching Nine and Ten swim together. “I bribed her with a cookie. She seemed eager to eat after that.” 

Bill nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’ll do it. She’s usually super happy. But when Grace died,” she shook her head. “It crushed her. Poor thing didn’t leave her cave all week. I barely even knew her and I was still upset. But she had been here for Thirteen for years, taught her so many things. I imagine it’s like losing a parent.” 

Yaz sighed. “She needs a therapist, not a new guard,” she said.

“Y’know what?” Bill looked at Yaz, her eyes glimmering. “I think right now, she needs you.” 

They finished their rounds in vague silence, Yaz only asking a question when she had too. They sat down for lunch at about noon, an unfamiliar ginger woman putting her things away in her locker when they entered the break room. 

“Alright there Donna?” Bill said, grabbing a takeout container from the fridge. “How was the date last night?” 

The woman turned and sighed. “God I am lucky I have decent patience. He didn’t shut up about himself the entire time. It was ridiculous.” 

Bill laughed, gesturing to Yaz. “This is our newest. The Doc hopes she can replace Lowell, but honestly, anything would’ve been better than him.” 

Donna introduced herself, settling down to chat with them as they all ate. 

“Alright,” Bill stood and stretched. “C’mon, can’t keep the aquatics waiting.” 

The three of them headed back to the food prep area, where Amy was already halfway through making a bucket for Eleven. 

“Oh, Donna,” she said, turning to see them walk in. “How did last night go?” 

And thus began the complaints anew. Yaz half listened and half focused on her job, not wanting to mess up. She had saved her own lunch for now, the tupperware shoved into one of her surprisingly big pockets. If she was going to bond with Thirteen, she was going to do it right. 

Bill broke off from their group to go feed Twelve in his medicated tank, and once the other two had entered their caves, Yaz pushed into Thirteen’s, unsurprised to find her sprawled out across the floor, reading a water damaged paperback. 

“I have lunch,” Yaz said, dragging an extra bucket in so she could sit. “Here.” 

Thirteen grumbled a thank you before she began eating, still reading as she did. It was only when Yaz popped her own food open that Thirteen actually looked at her. 

“What’s that?” She asked, sitting up properly. 

Yaz smiled, stabbing one of the chicken pieces in her lunch. “My food. I thought I’d eat with you, just so we could get to know each other a bit more.” 

Thirteen seemed unimpressed, but she did scoot forward to get a better look. “Bird?” 

“It’s chicken,” Yaz said. “And green beans, and a bit of rice too. Not terribly fun, but it keeps me going.” 

Thirteen nodded. “Looks good,” She hummed, leaning back and twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Now that she wasn’t in the water or completely soaked, Yaz could see her hair fully. About chin length, it seemed to curve around her jaw in a flattering way, and the hair framing her face curled in damp spirals. 

Yaz sighed in defeat. “Here,” she offered Thirteen a bite. “Go ahead, try it.” 

Thirteen eagerly took the chicken, Her entire face lighting up as she ate. If this was how Thirteen reacted to small bites of food, Yaz could only imagine her joy at a full meal. 

“Hey,” Yaz said finally, putting her empty tupperware back in her pocket. “I know that the past few weeks have been difficult, but you know we’re all here for you, right? Especially me. I want to help you.” 

Immediately, Thirteen’s face shut down. She went blank, completely empty as she pulled herself up. “Get out.” 

“What?” 

“Get out!” Thirteen yelled, quickly sliding out of her small pool and into an opening that Yaz could only imagine led to the tank. 

As Yaz slowly packed up and left, she sighed, wondering if this was going to be harder than she thought. 

She was silent the rest of the walk to the food prep room. The others had already left, doing their own work. Yaz wasn’t technically scheduled to do any rounds until later, when Bill left work and Yaz picked up for her. So, until then, she sat in a corner, the entire aquarium in front of her, and began to read. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love ya!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz does her best to bond with Thirteen, and who knows, maybe she finally starts to succeed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a nap. Seriously, I haven’t left my house in weeks, I don’t know why I’m so exhausted. 
> 
> This chapter is longer than I expected, but that’s not a bad thing, Y’know? 
> 
> I also didn’t upload it for a while because chapter 5 isn’t done yet, and I’d like to stay at least one chapter ahead of the game as I write

Yaz got a few chapters in and called it quits on her book. It was a very good story, something about detectives and ghosts, but her mind wandered elsewhere. Elsewhere being the tank in front of her. She was situated in a very peculiar spot, her back to the glass, looking out into the entrance of the tube. She could see Eleven and Twelve to her left, and Ten was lounging behind her. Nine’s tail was sticking out of his cave, and Thirteen was sulking, spread out across the top of the glass tube. Occasionally, she’d give Yaz a scathing look, but eventually quit in favor of tracing small shapes into the glass. 

Her book abandoned, Yaz walked through the tube and towards the lab. Maybe the residents had tips on how to at least make Thirteen stop hating her. 

“I’m telling you,” a male voice said as she pushed the door open. “It wouldn’t work anyway! Missy is too much of a bitch to let anyone near her, suit or no.” 

Clara rolled her eyes, seeing Yaz walk in. “Hiya. Yasmin, right?” 

“Just Yaz,” Yaz corrected, looking around. “Mind if I stay here? Kinda bored.” 

The blonde from yesterday shrugged, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t mind. I’m Rose, by the way. And that,” she pointed to a man cleaning the cylindrical tank in the corner. “Is Jack Harkness.” 

“Pleasure to meetcha,” Jack said, standing up and shaking her hand. 

“No!” Clara and Rose both said at the same time. 

Yaz laughed, sitting down on a wayward stool. “How long have you guys been here?” 

Clara shrugged, adjusting her sweater. “I’ve been here just over two months, but Rose and Jack have been ‘round since before Martha, and she’s been here years. Why?” 

“Uh, well,” Yaz groaned, pressing her hands into her face. “I might’ve said the wrong thing and now Thirteen hates me.” 

Jack smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you worry your head about it. Rose is Nine’s monitor, but whenever she’s out, I take over. Nine hated me for months whenever I tried to feed him,” he passed Yaz a few photos. “But, I worked it out with him. They bond to people they like, but once they’re bonded with someone, it’s hard to just accept a new monitor out of the blue, especially if their old one isn’t coming back. I’d say just keep trying to get into Thirteen’s good graces.” 

Yaz flipped through the photos, grinning at one of Rose, Jack, and Nine, all laughing and happy. “D’you know anyone else who’s good with Thirteen?” 

“Oh,” Rose nodded. “Try down in maintenance and repairs. Grace’s husband works there, along with her grandson. Thirteen didn’t seem to hate Mr. O’Brian, and Ryan brought her books every so often. She likes them both.” 

“Thanks,” Yaz said, standing. “Where’s maintenance?” 

Half an hour later, she was sitting down in the maintenance room, a cup of tea in her hands and a familiar face sitting to her left. 

“Oh yeah,” Graham said, shuffling through the room. “I know Thirteen really well. She’s an interesting one, that Thirteen. Chatty, passionate, a bit bonked in the head, but she’s fun. Inventive. Grace always thought her human half had ADD or autism or something. Poor self care, never bothered with baths or personal health much.” 

Yaz sipped her tea. “She’s a bit moody for me,” she murmured. “Brightened up when I brought her cookies thought.” 

Graham smiled. “Grace always gave her dessert after dinner when she could. And she’s a big reader, ain’t she Ryan?” 

Ryan nodded, grabbing a spare wire and plugging it into a device he was holding. “Yeah. Always excited to see whatever novel I’d brought her. And encyclopedias. She loves encyclopedias.” 

“Huh,” Yaz said softly. “Thank you. I don’t really know what to do. She’s odd, like you said Graham. But, I dunno. She acts like she wants me there, but pushes me away whenever she can.” 

“Don’t you sweat it,” Graham said. “She’ll warm to you. Just don’t do anything ridiculously offensive. She’s a people person at heart, the poor thing can barely stand to be alone.” 

Yaz left for her shift shortly after that. It would be her first go round without Bill there, but she trusted herself. 

Dinner for Thirteen was made and brought down, and although Thirteen didn’t move when she saw Yaz, Yaz left her a packet of custard creams anyway. 

“I’ll see you later,” Yaz promised. “Get a good night’s rest, tomorrow’s gonna be a good day.” 

Thirteen grumbled something unintelligible as Yaz shut and locked the door, heading back to the break room to clock out. 

Her night was lonely, cold and empty in her flat. As she rolled over to sleep, Yaz wondered if maybe she should have a friend over soon. It might cure the weird feeling sitting in her chest. 

The next morning, Yaz left early, taking a detour on her way to work. If she intended to bond with Thirteen, she was going to have to make a very good effort. 

The bookstore was practically empty, which was to be expected for how early Yaz had gotten there. She wandered the aisles, picking out a few books she thought would be good for Thirteen. A set of medical encyclopedias, some sci-fi novels, and a package of what were labeled as classics. 

“Good morning!” She said, pushing into Thirteen’s cave with breakfast and the books. “Delivery for Thirteen, courtesy of Yasmin Khan.” 

Thirteen looked around and cocked her head slightly. “Books?” 

“Lots of them,” Yaz said. “Dunno what you already had, but these seemed to be things you’d like.” 

She pushed the book stack into a corner near a pretty big crystal, and Thirteen immediately hauled herself over to check them out. 

“What are these?” She asked eagerly, flipping one of the medical encyclopedias over. 

“I dunno,” Yaz admitted. “They were on sale, and Ryan told me how much you liked learning books. Figured if you didn’t like A&E visits, you could at least learn the basics of how to care for yourself.” 

Thirteen paused, delicately putting the books on a makeshift shelf. She turned to Yaz, her eyes gleaming. “Thank you Yaz,” she murmured, and Yaz felt her heart swell. 

“Well,” She said slowly. “Would you mind eating? You’re all skin and bones and you need to eat something.” 

Thirteen didn’t argue or defend her food as she pulled the bucket closer. Instead, she curled her tail up under her and chatted animatedly to Yaz as she ate, her eyes lighting up as she talked about how her cave crystals worked and how she repaired them all by herself. 

“Ok so maybe Ryan helped a bit,” she said. “But I did most of the work!” 

“Hey Yaz, you in there?” Bill knocked on the door, startling Thirteen. “C’mon, I have to brief you on wash days! You can’t go about taking forever in there you know.” 

Yaz tossed her head back. “I’ll be out in a mo’!” She promised. “Sorry Thirteen,” she said. “Duty calls. I’ll be back though. And you can tell me all about whatever those books are about, okay?” 

Thirteen nodded, picking a book and burying herself in it as Yaz exited the cave. 

Bill was waiting for her on the other side, fiddling with her phone. “There you are!” She said. “You took forever!” 

“Sorry,” Yaz said. “Thirteen’s warming up to me, and I’d like to spend a bit more time with her.” 

“Yeah well,” Bill grumbled. “You’ll get plenty of time today. It’s wash day.” 

She briefly explained wash day as they headed down the halls. While the caves were being cleaned out, the aquatics also got a scrubbing down. 

“We just wash their hair and tails, make sure that there isn’t any damage, the works,” Bill finally said. “It’s kinda like bathing a child.” She gestured to a hallway. “Down here are the bathing rooms. Go ahead and pick one, and start getting it set up for Thirteen.” 

Yaz headed down the hall. A few rooms already had numbers on them, and she ended up going for the one she thought Thirteen would like best. The one all the way in the corner. 

It wasn’t hard to get set up. A few soap bottles were set out, along with towels and a black kit that upon further investigation, had some hair care supplies. 

“Good luck with that,” Amy said to her as she headed down the hall with Eleven in a wheelchair. “Not even Grace could keep Thirteen in the bath for long.” 

“She doesn’t like being cleaned!” Eleven insisted. “Hates being told how to look too.” 

Yaz nodded. “Thanks Eleven. I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Thirteen was eager to see her again, and even more eager when Yaz grabbed a wheelchair. “Where are we going?” She asked. “Is it somewhere fun? Are we going outside? I haven’t been outside in a long time.” 

“If you behave today,” Yaz said, cutting Thirteen off. “I’ll ask Dr. Donahue if we can take a trip outside. But only if you behave.” 

Thirteen wrinkled her nose and sighed. “He’s not the boss of me.” 

“Yes,” Yaz agreed. “But he is the boss of me. And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t get me fired.” 

As soon as they rounded the corner into the hallway with the bathrooms, Thirteen knew what was going on. “Absolutely not, you are not forcing me to wash up.” 

“Mhm,” Yaz hummed, pushing Thirteen into their corner room. “I know. C’mon, in the tub please.” 

“No!” Thirteen gripped the wheelchair with rapidly whitening knuckles. “No, you can’t make me, I won’t do it!” 

Yaz smiled kindly. “I wasn’t going to force you to do anything,” she promised, as gently as possible. “I just want you to get in the tub. I won’t touch the soaps or anything else if you don’t want me too.” 

Thirteen seemed to relax a bit at that, and she eventually crawled into the tub, practically melting into the hot water. “Oh this is nice.” 

Yaz laughed, taking her uniform off and leaving it in a pile next to the towels. “Make room, will you. I’m freezing.” 

Thirteen curiously moved over as Yaz sunk into the tub. She remained in her underclothes, shorts and a tank top, so there was still privacy. 

“Your feet are weird,” Thirteen finally said, breaking their comfortable silence. 

“Hey!” Yaz said, smiling despite the insult. “My feet are perfect, thank you.” 

Thirteen giggled. “I don’t see bare feet very often,” she reminded, flicking her fluke up out of the water. “So of course they’d be weird.” 

Yaz sighed, letting her fingers dance over the surface of the warm water. “Do you ever leave your tank?” 

“Not really,” Thirteen said. “We don’t leave the tank unless one of the doctors takes us, and I don’t think I’ve ever been outside.” 

“Hm,” Yaz leaned back, letting the porcelain of the tub cradle her neck. “Outside, there are spas. They’re kinda like this actually. My sister Sonya used to make me go every so often. They make you all clean and pretty. I never liked them too much though. Having someone else wash my body is weird.” 

Thirteen nodded, eyeing the soap. “It’s been a while since I bathed. Haven’t washed my mop in too long. Twelve keeps telling me I look like a dog.” 

“Yeah well,” Yaz hummed. “Your hair could do with a wash, maybe a trim too.” 

“Would you do it?” 

Immediately, Yaz sat up, a bit confused until she saw Thirteen cautiously glancing at the door. “Of course,” she said, standing up and sitting on the tub’s edge. “Come here, put your head in my lap.” 

Thirteen did as told, letting her soaking wet head rest on Yaz’s thighs. She was still warm from the bathwater, tiny rivulets of water rolling down Yaz’s legs as she squeezed some shampoo into her hands. 

“It smells,” Thirteen complained, her face scrunching. 

“Shush up, you big baby,” Yaz said, beginning to scrub her soapy hands through Thirteen’s hair. Immediately, Thirteen groaned in happiness, her muscles relaxing as Yaz massaged her head. 

Thirteen was cooperative the entire time Yaz washed and rinsed and conditioned and rinsed her hair, barely saying a word. She was quiet as Yaz grabbed a body wash that smelled strongly of lemon gelatin and began to scrub it up and down her arms. 

“Tail time,” Yaz sang softly, draining the tub a bit so the water was ankle height. “Go ahead and sit where I was, I’m gonna go grab some stuff.” 

She left to go pick up a scale soap she had found, and Thirteen moved to where Yaz had sat, her wet hair dripping down her face. 

“Your tail is so pretty,” Yaz mused, popping the top off the soap and pouring it into her hands. “I’m a bit jealous.” 

Thirteen smiled, watching Yaz wash her fluke. “Thank you. I can barely reach that thing.” 

“No problem,” Yaz promised. “I don’t mind helping you clean up. Feels good to help.” 

They lapsed into silence, Yaz continuing to scrub Thirteen’s scales until they shone. When she finished, she drained the rest of the tub and gestured for Thirteen to get out. “C’mon. I pulled a stool in here, go sit and I’ll comb your hair.” 

Thirteen eagerly wiggled out of the tub and onto the stool with minimal assistance as Yaz set out the things she’d need. 

Yaz dropped a towel across Thirteen’s shoulders, grabbing a comb from the edge of the countertop. “Sit still,” she warned. 

Thirteen didn’t move as Yaz dragged the comb through her hair, the wet blonde locks adhering to the curve of her jaw. She sat shock still, barely moving as Yaz ruffled her hair and smiled. “All done.” 

“Already?” Thirteen said, turning to face Yaz. “I thought we had loads more to do!” 

“Nope,” Yaz shrugged. “Unless you want me to actually do your hair, we’re done.” 

“But I do!” 

Yaz smiled, glad to see the eagerness in Thirteen’s eyes. “Okay, okay. I give. Come here.” 

Thirteen moved to the floor, tail curled up under her as Yaz kneeled behind her, comb back in hand. “I’m warning you, I’ve never really done this.” 

“Don’t mind,” Thirteen hummed, shifting back and forth. “Never been good at doing my own hair. Or washing up on my own. Even before all this.” 

“Before?” Yaz asked, grabbing the small scissors she’d balanced a bit precariously on the stool’s edge. “You mean you haven’t always been like this?” 

Thirteen was quiet. “I don’t think so,” she said finally, after a short period. “I have memories of when I think I had legs. But I can’t be sure.”

“Tell me,” Yaz said, quiet as she dared. 

“Well,” Thirteen sighed, her eyes going a bit foggy. “I lived alone, in a tiny little flat. Had an amazing view though. My name started with a J, maybe Jane. That bit always gets blurry. I was in the middle of medical school when the memories stopped. I was going to be a Doctor. Doctor Smith. I had a roommate, drove me absolutely mad, but we always made up in the end. Can’t remember his name now.” 

Yaz, not wanting to interrupt, stood and grabbed a hair dryer, carefully turning it to the lowest setting. Thirteen stopped talking, focused suddenly on picking at her fingernails. 

“Sit up a bit,” Yaz instructed, running a hand along Thirteen’s spine, helping her sit straight. Thirteen smiled as the comb scratched against her scalp and Yaz began to work. 

Ten minutes later, Thirteen’s hair had been successfully braided into two tight French braids. She was so excited, showing them eagerly off to Bill, who was bringing Twelve back into his cave. 

“They look amazing!” Bill said. “Did Yaz do them?” 

“Yeah,” Thirteen looked up at Yaz. “Oh! Yaz, I haveta thank you somehow!” 

Yaz laughed, opening Thirteen’s cave and helping her in. “It wasn’t any big deal,” she insisted. “No need to thank me.” 

“Nonsense,” Thirteen rummaged through one of her bins and pulled out a piece of thick cloth and some embroidery thread. “I’ll have this done by dinner, off you pop.” 

“She’s adorable,” Bill said as Yaz left the cave. “Never seen her this happy. I guess you’re a good match for her.” 

“Yeah,” Yaz said, shoving her hands in her pockets and smiling. “I suppose I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
> 
> Next chapter includes (but isn’t limited to): a hidden love confession, a whole slew of new characters, and the realization that maybe there’s something bigger going on here


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz meets the other experiments, and manages to gives Thirteen a super cool gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeehaw my dudes. 
> 
> I cannot tell if this story is progressing too fast or what, but like. Heyyyyyy who cares? 
> 
> Anyway, y’all are amazing, I love you, keep being super cool, see ya soon

“Miss. Khan?” A woman with dark hair poked her head into the break room. “Miss. Khan?” 

“Here!” Yaz said, standing. “Did you need anything?” 

The woman gestured her into the hall, and Yaz followed. “I’m Martha Jones, one of the guards down in the west wing. I was wondering if you had anything scheduled for right about now? One of our other guards called in sick and his replacement is out of town for family business.” 

Yaz shrugged. “I’ll have to be back by dinner time,” she said. “But if it’s only a few quick rounds, I can take over.” She thought quickly of Thirteen, and how eager she’d been to give Yaz whatever present she’d been making. She wouldn’t let her down. 

Martha sighed. “You are a lifesaver. I’d do it myself, but I’m needed down in the west’s A&E. I have time to show you around though.” 

The west wing was surprisingly similar to the east side, although the doors in were labeled ‘terrarium and paddocks.’ 

“We only have a few experiments down here,” Martha said as they walked. “We used to have more, but one of them became incredibly violent and began to organize revolts, so Dr. Donahue had him put in stasis for a while. So the rest of the space was dedicated to projects. Surgery centers, personal labs, exam rooms, the like.” 

Yaz nodded, watching Martha open a door and gesture her through. “Unlike the aviary and aquarium, we didn’t bother to number these guys. Actually,” she paused, thinking. “I think they originally had numbers, but they picked new names, and we use those.” 

The first window sat to Yaz’s left, and had a desert looking terrain. Lots of sun and warm brown rocks. 

Martha peered into the area. “This is where Saxon stays. He’s our only reptile. Ah, there he is, crafty little thing must’ve finally gotten tired.” 

Laying on a rock, belly up and clearly sunning himself, was a man, pale blond hair and tan skin. But his bottom half was a thick, gleaming snake’s tail

“I believe he’s part sidewinder rattlesnake,” Martha said. “Whatever it was they used, he rattles and is highly venomous. Plus, he’s very easily angered. So don’t go picking a fight with him.” 

Yaz swallowed, watching Saxon blink his eyes lazily open and smile. He didn’t move, only flicked his forked tongue out and drifted back off to sleep. 

Martha continued to lead Yaz down the hall, through another set of doors. “We keep each experiment down here separate, due to their tempers. We used to keep Missy and Saxon across the hall from each other, but Saxon broke out of his enclosure and bit Missy, and we had to separate them. That’s Missy in there,” she added, gesturing to the next enclosure. Laying on a raised rock pile was a woman, dressed in a long purple dress and reading a small romance novel. She didn’t look all too extraordinary, until she sat up and grinned at them. She had rounded cat ears and a sleek black tail, her legs sticking out from under her dress. She wore no shoes, and instead had digitigrade cat legs, each toe ending in a powerful looking claw. 

“Missy, I believe, is part panther,” Martha said from behind Yaz. “She’s kinder than Saxon, but just as cunning, so don’t let her fool you. 

Missy gave them a wave as they left, going back to her book as Martha opened the next door.

The hallway was empty, with no bright lights and an abandoned tank that looked like the aquarium, but much smaller. 

“This is where our first experiment used to stay,” Martha explained. “He called himself the Master, but we all called him Koschei.” 

The final door was popped open and Martha sighed. “Room number four, our youngest. This is O.” 

The enclosure was very reminiscent of a farm, with a beautiful field and a white fence. There was a red barn off to the side, but Yaz only had eyes for the thing in the center. Settled in the field was a centaur. 

“O is probably our easiest to manage,” Martha said. “He might be a bit deranged, but at least he’s not prone to killing anyone or escaping yet.” 

“I heard that!” O said, turning. His black tail swished, a beautiful contrast against his deep liver brown horse half. 

Martha pretended not to hear him. “You two should get along, actually. I hear Thirteen has taken quite the liking to you, and O used to be her best friend back when they were new here. Arrived at the same time, and we actually had a small joint area for them. And then he hurt and almost killed her, so we quickened her move into our aquarium.” 

O rolled his eyes. “It was one time, and now I can’t see Jo again! It’s shit is what it is.” 

“Jo?” Yaz asked, suddenly curious. “Who’s Jo?” 

O trotted closer. “Back in our younger days,” he said, a smile blooming across his face. “We has these fantasies. We lived normal lives as normal people. We even named each other. Real human names instead of numbers. She called me Sacha, and I called her Jodie.” 

“That’s enough!” Martha finally said. “O, stop taunting Yaz.” 

“Jodie,” Yaz breathed. “That was her name. Started with a J.” 

Martha sighed, steering Yaz away from O. “We’ve got one more ‘round here, c’mon. We don’t chunk her in with this lot though.” 

“Yeah,” O called as they walked away. “That’s because she isn’t crazy like us!” 

The door shut with a big clunk, leaving Yaz to look at a big enclosure, filled with trees so dense it practically counted as a forest. There was a small pond with a few rocks scattered around it, and a clear trail through the trees. 

“That,” Martha said, pointing to movement in the trees. “Is River.” 

The woman that stepped out of the forest was practically ethereal. A wild head of curls, a loose brown dress, and glimmering green eyes. Upon first glance, Yaz thought she was part cat, like Missy, until she looked again. 

River had pointed golden ears, a white color at the base. Her legs were digitigrade, like Missy, but her paws were too powerful, legs too furry, for her to be a cat. And her teeth were too sharp. 

“Hello darling,” She said. “I see you brought me a new plaything,” she looked Yaz up and down. “This one looks fun.” 

“She’s not your plaything,” Martha insisted. “She’s here for Nardole’s rotation, then she’s gone.” 

Yaz walked away, watching River’s tail swish as she trailed back to the woods. 

“Alright,” Martha said, pulling Yaz to the side. “Your rounds are just walk in circles. This door goes through the lab space, but if you follow the hall, you’ll loop right back to the start, with Saxon. Do that for a while, I’ll find you when I can take back over, okay?” 

“Yeah,” Yaz said. “No problem.” 

Martha nodded. “I’ll swap your coms to our west wing channel. If you need me for anything, go ahead and call.” 

Yaz was left alone after that, patrolling the halls and occasionally peering into the enclosures. Saxon and Missy weren’t too interested in her, but O talked every opportunity he got. She ended up stopping and chatting with him about nonsensical things for about ten minutes before she had to walk off. 

“Yaz!” Martha came jogging up behind her, almost two hours later. “You’re good to go, just in time for dinner, as promised.” 

“Thanks,” Yaz said, stretching her neck. “I’ll see you around, yeah?” 

Martha smiled. “Probably,” she said. “Ten’s stubborn, and sometimes he likes it when I come ‘round. Now go, you don’t want to be late.” 

Yaz left, her footsteps echoing as she walked down unfamiliar halls until she reached her break room, where Amy was packing up. 

“Hey,” she looked over her shoulder. “What’s up with you? Look like you’ve seen a ghost.” 

“Just tired,” Yaz shrugged off her concerns. “Gonna go give Thirteen dinner.” 

She silently made Thirteen’s food, her head beginning to spin. Maybe leaving a bit earlier than she should would be good for her, especially if her nausea persisted. 

Thirteen was waiting for her, a small box in her hands. “Yaz!” 

“Hiya,” Yaz said happily, passing the food over. “Here you are.” 

As Thirteen began to eat, Yaz settled down on the floor, glad to see Thirteen’s braids were still intact. A bit wet, but otherwise perfectly fine. 

“Here,” Thirteen pushed the box towards Yaz once she’d finished her food. “For you.” 

Yaz carefully picked up the box. Not heavy or massive, it was painted a beautiful shade of royal blue with a golden ribbon haphazardly tying it shut. 

“Go on,” Thirteen urged, drawing closer. “I think you’ll like it.” 

The ribbon fell silently to the ground as Yaz opened the box, revealing a small circle of black fabric. 

“It’s a patch,” she said, picking it up. “Like, for my coat, Yeah?” 

Thirteen nodded eagerly. “Mhm! I made it myself.” 

Yaz flipped the patch over, revealing the gorgeous embroidered pattern. Intertwining blue and gold thread made up a series of circles and lines, dots and curves. 

“It’s beautiful.” Yaz breathed. “Where’d the pattern come from?” 

“It’s our language,” Thirteen scooted forward, running a finger across the circles. “When we first got here, all of us, we made a language so we could all pass notes. We’ve used it for so long that none of us need a translator anymore.” 

“What’s it say?” 

Thirteen’s face turned a bit red. “It’s your name.” 

Yaz pressed it into her left pocket, alongside her phone. “I love it.” 

“Good!” Thirteen said happily. “I’m glad! Poked my fingers making it. You should just need to iron it to make it stick to a jacket or something.” 

Yaz nodded, reminding herself mentally to pick up something to repay Thirteen. Maybe more embroidery thread. 

“Alright,” Yaz said, standing up. “I gotta go home for the night. You gonna be good here?” 

Thirteen hummed, already immersing herself in a book. “Goodnight.” 

“Night,” Yaz shut the door relatively quietly, finally succumbing to her headache now that no one could see her. 

She made it home quickly, bypassing dinner and opting to just lay down. Her stomach heaved as she finally rested, and Yaz could only hope she wasn’t getting sick as she fell asleep. 

The morning came in the form of a blaring alarm clock and Yaz groaning. Her stomach didn’t feel weird anymore, in fact,she felt completely fine. 

“That’s strange,” She grumbled to herself as she got dressed for the day. But, not one to overly question the abnormal, she just went about her morning routine as normal. 

Work was as mundane as it could’ve been. She clocked in, saying a brief good morning to Amy and Rory, before heading down to make Thirteen breakfast. 

As she hauled the bucket of food down to the caves, she ran into someone she hadn’t seen in a few days, and was pleasantly surprised to see him standing in the aquarium. 

“Dr. Donahue,” she said, setting her bucket down and standing beside him. “How’re you doing?” 

He turned, a bit shocked, but upon noticing it was just her, he smiled. “Ah, Yasmin,” he looked back into the tank. “I’m doing well, all things considered. And you?” 

“Bit tired,” Yaz admitted. “But that comes with the new job, Y’know?” 

“Of course,” Dr. Donahue said quietly. “You seem to be making quick progress with Thirteen.” 

Yaz nodded. “Well, she’s complex and stubborn, but deep down she just wants someone to be there, someone she can trust. Plus, I’ve been bribing her.” 

Dr. Donahue laughed, noting Yaz’s slightly fuller pockets. “Not with excess treats, I hope.” 

“Not always,” Yaz admitted. “That reminds me, I did promise her that if she behaved yesterday, I’d ask you if we could go outside, just out to like, the backyard or somewhere private.” 

Dr. Donahue sighed. “That would be risky Yaz,” he said. “I could approve it, but you would have to promise you’d stay out of trouble.” 

Yaz grinned. “Oh please,” she said. “I’m the master of staying out of trouble.” 

Half an hour later, Yaz was wheeling Thirteen through the halls, out towards an exit. Thirteen had her hands pressed obediently over her eyes, and she kept asking questions. 

“Are we there yet?” 

“Almost,” Yaz promised, pushing open the exit door. The backyard wasn’t anything special. Some overgrown grass, a few trees, and a medium sized pond. “Eyes still closed?” 

“Yep!” Thirteen wiggled a bit in her chair. “I’m excited! It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve been anywhere fun.” 

Yaz smiled, parking Thirteen in a patch of sunlight. “We’re here.” 

Thirteen eagerly uncovered her eyes, looking around with wide eyes. “Yaz.”

“Welcome to the outside,” Yaz said, sitting down in the grass. “We can be out here for an hour, so make the most of it.” 

It took Thirteen a few minutes to compose herself, but when she did, she plopped down in the grass next to Yaz, laying flat on her back and staring up at the cloud dotted sky. 

“Thank you,” She said after a while. “It’s amazing.” 

Yaz sighed, looking up from her book. “I made a promise,” she said. “And if I’m anything, I’m a girl who keeps her promises.” 

Thirteen stretched, yawning and sitting up on her elbows. “Alright. I’m gonna explore. Don’t wait up.” 

With that, she wriggled into the pond, slipping beneath the slightly murky water with a tiny splash. Yaz didn’t worry, mostly because she could still see Thirteen’s tail glimmering in the sun. She watched Thirteen dart around, catching small fish and letting them go with triumph. 

At the end of their hour, Dr. Donahue came to get them, a look of amused disappointment on his face when Thirteen hauled herself out of the pond. “Did we have fun ladies?” 

“Yes!”

Yaz laughed. “I guess we did.” 

She helped get Thirteen settled back in her cave, watching her sink into her pool, fluke tucked up under her. “Your hair came undone.” 

“Oh,” Thirteen reached up to feel her head, where her braids had, in fact, come out. “I suppose it did.” 

Yaz smiled. “I’ll do new ones tomorrow,” she murmured. “But for now, get some sleep.” 

Thirteen nodded, pulling herself into a more comfortable circle, almost completely submerged in her pool. 

She waved goodbye, the silver webbing between her fingers shining in the blue lights as Yaz waved back and shut the door. 

Amy was waiting for her in the break room, slightly distraught. “Did you see Eleven on your walk up here?” 

Yaz thought about it. “Y’know, now that you say it, I didn’t. He usually waves goodbye to me. Was he here this morning?” 

“He was!” Amy said. “But I went to give him lunch and he was gone! Sometimes the doctors take them for tests, but they’re always back within an hour or two, and, as their monitors, we’re usually notified, so we don’t freak out!” 

“Doctors, like, plural?” Yaz grabbed her dinner, sitting down and gesturing for Amy to do the same. “I thought Dr. Donahue was the only one.” 

Amy shook her head. “God no,” she mumbled. “There’s a bunch. They’re the big bosses though, so we’ve never met them. Even Dr. Donahue answers to them, and he’s kept in the dark most of the time.” 

Rory pushed into the room, sighing when he saw Amy. “No sign of him. And the Doc said he wasn’t scheduled for an appointment today.” 

“Well,” Yaz said, trying to be comforting. “Think about it. What are the chances he got out and left on his own?” 

“None,” Rory said. “He couldn’t. Not with how many keyed exits there are.” 

“Okay,” Yaz took a bite of her dinner. “And how likely is it that the doctors took him for emergency testing?” 

“Pretty damn likely,” Amy grumbled. “I just wish they’d tell us!” 

Rory sighed, sitting next to his wife. “Don’t we all.” 

Yaz went home that night concerned. Her stomach kept doing flips and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get work off her mind. What was going on? And what were the doctors covering up? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter includes: a talk with someone special, a bit of a realization, and one hell of a plot to keep Yaz out of things she shouldn’t be seeing


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Thirteen is busy with a doctor’s appointment, Yaz has a talk with someone who was close with her, and suddenly, everything starts to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gUYS
> 
> I’ve got nothing to report, only that apparently I don’t know how to write slow burns, seeing as we’re getting into a lot of plot rn. But hey, there will be more fluff soon, and I promise I won’t reveal too too much within the next few chapters. 
> 
> ❤️

The next day, Thirteen was moping. 

Yaz came into her cave, breakfast ready, only to find Thirteen half out into the aquarium tank, her head across her arms. 

“Alright,” Yaz said, setting her bucket down. “What’s wrong?” 

Thirteen shrugged. “I have an appointment today,” she said softly. “Don’t like it.” 

Yaz nodded, sitting next to Thirteen. “Scared?” 

“No,” Thirteen wrinkled her nose. “Just feels weird. All, y’know, overwhelming. My skin gets all numb and I can’t stand it when they touch me. Then they’re poking and prodding and it’s uncomfortable!” 

“Ah,” Yaz smiled. “Sit up, let me do your hair. Maybe that’ll calm you down. Go and eat too, you need it.” 

Thirteen tugged the bucket to her side, eating slowly as Yaz braided her hair again. 

“Thirteen?” Dr. Donahue poked his head into the cave. “Oh, and Yasmin too. Good morning.” 

“Morning!” Yaz said cheerfully. “Did ya need something?” 

“Actually,” Dr. Donahue smiled. “You can help me. I’m sure she already told you, but Thirteen here has an appointment with our more experienced doctors. Nothing bad, just a routine check, make sure she’s all healthy. I believe you’re due for your six month dental checkup,” he said teasingly. 

He and Yaz worked together to get Thirteen into a wheelchair, Yaz pushing her down the halls and into the west wing. 

“Alright Thirteen,” Dr. Donahue said, stopping outside a locked door. “This is our stop.” 

He opened the door and looked at Yaz. “Why don’t you go sit and relax? I’ll bring her back safe and sound, I promise.” 

Yaz nodded, watching as Thirteen’s face steeled. “Okay. See you soon!” 

As soon as Dr. Donahue was gone, Yaz headed through the halls, but not in the direction of the east wing. She went down, further in. She passed Saxon, Missy, and the empty aquarium before stopping confidently in front of O. “Good to see you again.” 

O looked up, smiling. “Yaz!” 

Yaz opened the door to his enclosure, ducking into a corner of the barn. “You got a camera in here?” 

“Not in the barn,” O trotted and stood in front of her, effectively blocking her from any peering eyes. “What’s up?” 

“I wanna talk,” Yaz said hesitantly. “About Thirteen.” 

O’s eyes darkened. “Did she say anything about me?” 

“No,” Yaz sat, inviting O to do the same. He did, grabbing a book and opening it, but not looking down. “I just, well, you knew her best.” 

“I did,” O said proudly. “But they separated us anyway.” 

“Why?” 

O’s shoulders shrunk in. “I hurt her. Badly. They were gonna put her in a beautiful lake with me on a farm just next to her. We’d be together forever. But the doctors gave me some experimental drug or something, made me go crazy. I could only think one thing,” he looked up at Yaz with sad eyes. “I wanted her dead, as soon as possible. So I waited,” he dropped his gaze again. “She was asleep, and I took my chance. Broke her neck, but there was still some shred of me left, thank the heavens, and I didn’t kill her. But she had to go, and I was put here, along with all the other failed experiments.” 

Yaz took a breath. “That’s,” she shook her head. “But you said it yourself, it wasn’t your fault.” 

O shrugged. “Didn’t matter,” he said bitterly. 

They sat in silence for a bit before Yaz straightened her spine. “Do you have memories of before? Before all of this?” 

“Of course,” O said. “I had a life. So did all of us.” 

Yaz nodded. “Tell me.” 

O smiled, looking off into the distance and reminiscing. “We lived together, me and her,” he started. “In a tiny ass flat above a river. Our rooms always smelled like water, but the view was amazing. Jo begged for weeks to buy that flat simply for the view. We knew each other for months before that. She wrote most of her papers on the balcony, and god damn was she annoying when she needed practice. She was in the process of getting her medical degree, and she’d use me as her guinea pig whenever she needed one.” 

He sighed, fiddling with the edges of his book. “I remember better than most. The day we got asked to help with a local cause, a series of tests that, if successful, would prolong the human life. We accepted, obviously. They said they’d pay us, and we were both broke. But then,” he thumbed at a certain page. “It got fuzzy. Like all my memories are just dreams. And that’s what happened to her, to all of us. We had lives. This company just took them away. I thought giving her hints, like her name, would help. But I was wrong.” 

“What was it?” Yaz asked suddenly. “Her name?” 

O paused, his thumb tearing the corner of his book page. “Jodie Smith, although her mother was divorced, so she introduced herself with her mum’s maiden name, Whittaker. But legally, she was Smith. She was going to be a doctor. Doctor Smith. Wore that title like a crown, even though she didn’t have it yet.” 

Yaz grabbed O’s hands. “This’ll be okay,” she said. “You’ll see her again, and I guarantee it, she will be a doctor. I promise.” 

She left once she guaranteed the coast was clear, settling down just outside the door Thirteen had been taken to. 

“Yasmin?” Dr. Donahue peered out of the doorway almost an hour later. “Ah, there you are! I hope you weren’t sitting here the entire time.” 

“Nope,” Yaz said, standing up. “Did some rounds, got some air, came back and did a bit of reading.” She held up her book as evidence, shutting it and putting it securely in her pocket. “Is Thirteen done?” 

“Yep,” Dr. Donahue smiled. “C’mon, poor thing needs a nap.” 

Yaz took the wheelchair from Dr. Donahue, raising her eyebrows at the groggy, half conscious Thirteen sitting in it. “Is she okay?” 

“Of course,” Dr. Donahue held the door open for her as they headed back towards the east wing. “Mild sedative, should wear off after a bit of sleep. She was difficult during her exam, so we had to, otherwise someone would’ve been hurt.” 

Yaz hummed, looking down at Thirteen. “Is she always trouble like that?” 

“Mostly,” Dr. Donahue said. “But she’s hypersensitive, so it makes sense.” 

They carefully maneuvered Thirteen back into her cave, setting her on her back in her pool. She smiled up at Yaz before drifting off to sleep, her head falling back. 

“I’ll stay with her,” Yaz mumbled, sitting on a dry patch of the floor. “Keep her company until she wakes.” 

Dr. Donahue left, allowing Yaz to finally do what she had wanted to for hours. 

She tugged her phone out of her pocket and did a very fast google search. 

‘ _Jodie Smith.’_

There were practically no decent results. The only promising thing was a four year old social media profile. 

The photos were grainy and practically ancient, but it was definitely her. Yaz clicked on one, and she almost gasped. 

Thirteen was standing amongst friends, happy and smiling. O was there, just to her left, also smiling. She had her arm around him, dragging him down and making him laugh. He was clean shaven, and she was brunette, but it was definitely them. 

Yaz scrolled to the caption, nerves welling up inside her. 

_ One last night with the dream team! Whittaker and Dhawan are leaving us tomorrow for some boring experimental study, so we made the most of tonight!  _

“Oh god,” Yaz stood up. “I have to go.” 

She practically stumbled out of there, suddenly sick. She bumped into Bill, who promised to take her shift for her, and urged her to get some bed rest. 

“Stay home tomorrow if you have to,” She said, helping Yaz into her car. “Are you sure you can drive? I don’t mind asking Clara to cover me while I take you home.” 

Yaz shook her head. “Gotta go home alone,” she slurred, and suddenly, the world was slipping, sliding away like melting paint. Bill was shouting, but the words were incoherent, muted almost. Yaz had just enough in her to murmur her address before she fell into unconsciousness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter includes: answers to questions and more questions to be answered

**Author's Note:**

> ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


End file.
